GRAND RAPIDS, MI.- Few American artists can capture the attention of millions the way Dale Chihuly can, and Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, one of the nation’s most significant sculpture and botanic experiences, will celebrate the masterwork of Chihuly with a breathtaking and exclusive outdoor sculpture exhibition, April 30 – September 30, 2010. “Chihuly at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park: A New Eden” will include thousands of pieces of glass in 15 different settings across the 132-acre grounds. Each site-specific sculpture will harmonize with the surrounding natural environment, and bright, bold horticulture designs will change with the seasons. “This exhibition celebrates one of the world’s foremost glass artist and his much-anticipated return to Meijer Gardens,” said Joseph Becherer, chief curator and vice president. “Specifically created for this exhibition, Chihuly
Michael Darling is Named New Chief Curator of MCA Chicago
CHICAGO, IL.- Madeleine Grynsztejn, Pritzker Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Chicago, announced today that Michael Darling has been appointed the new James W. Alsdorf Chief Curator, concluding a comprehensive international search. Darling is currently the Jon and Mary Shirley Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) and plans to assume his new responsibilities at the MCA on July 12, 2010. “Michael Darling is the perfect creative leader to evolve the MCA as a preeminent contemporary art destination in terms of reputation, influence, relevance, and visibility,” said Grynsztejn. “I am looking forward to joining with Michael to realize a compelling new vision for the MCA. We share the same goal to forge an artist-activated platform that engages audiences by producing art, ideas, community, and conversation around the creative process. His exhibitions and acquisitions are always inno
New Work from Greg Smith at Susan Inglett Gallery
NEW YORK, NY.- Susan Inglett presents “Bearded”, new work from GREG SMITH in his third solo exhibition with the gallery from 30 April to 29 May 2010. A reception for the artist will be held Friday evening 30 April from 6 to 8 PM. The Universe is built from a simple form. That form is commonly understood to be an atom and the shape of that form is commonly understood to be a sphere. For my purposes, I would prefer to see that shape as a beard, or at least a caricature of a beard. For better or worse, there are associations that go along with the beard: disguise, masculinity, Santa Claus, homosexuality, survivalism, fundamentalism, and wisdom, for example. My beard shape is used to build objects, mechanical devices, and a set; these in turn are used to construct a range of scenarios, including those that are well outside (and perhaps even antagonistic toward) these familiar associations and stereotypes. While you
Exhibition Examines the Evolution of Utopian Ideas in Modern Western Artistic Thought and Practice
VENICE.- From May 1 through July 25, 2010 the Peggy Guggenheim Collection presents the exhibition Utopia Matters: from Brotherhoods to Bauhaus, curated by Vivien Greene, Curator of 19th- and Early 20th-Century Art at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. With more than 70 works of art, encompassing painting, sculpture, drawing, decorative art, design, photography, and printed matter, the exhibition examines the evolution of utopian ideas in modern Western artistic thought and practice, taking an international sequence of case studies that reveals some of the faces that utopia can assume when embraced by artistic movements—from the brotherhoods of the 19th century to the avant-gardes of the period immediately following World War I. The groups addressed are the French Primitifs, the German Nazarenes, the English Pre-
Heather James Fine Art Opens Solo Exhibition by Kelly Barrie
PALM DESERT, CA.- Heather James Fine Art presents the solo exhibition “Kelly Barrie: Trace Elements” and the group exhibition “A View to the Soul: Portraiture, Old and New”. Both exhibitions run through May 30, 2010. Kelly Barrie creates photographs that explore the imaginary site where past and present converge. Using found photographs, the artist reconstructs the image through a performative floor drawing using photo-luminescent pigment (glo-powder) and his feet, walking out the image on the floor via a series of actions such as toe drags, heel spins, snake walks and foot sweeps. The artist constructs a scaffolding system around the drawing and documents his traces by photographing the area in small sections over the course of several months. The studio acts as a dark
Phillips de Pury & Company Emerging Power Nations Auction
LONDON.- On 23rd and 24th April, Phillips de Pury & Company will hold their BRIC auctions at London’s Saatchi Gallery. The BRIC auctions will be the very first sales of Contemporary Art from today’s fastest-growing and burgeoning international powerhouses: Brazil, Russia, India and China. The auctions will launch with an evening sale on April 23rd, featuring seminal works from a selection of the four countries’ key Contemporary artists, and followed on April 24th, by four separate day sales, each dedicated to separate BRIC country and offering works by the most successful and dynamic Contemporary artists from the various regions. While normally used as a financial term referring to the rapidly expanding economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China, here the acronym BRIC refers to the budding Contemporary Art scene within these four nations. The BRIC sale will reflect the widespread growth of interest in Con
Monumental New Drawing by Dawn Clements at The Boiler
BROOKLYN, NY.- Pierogi presents new work by Dawn Clements at The Boiler. Clements, whose panoramic drawing of a film interior is currently on view in the Whitney Biennial 2010, has taken on a monumental drawing at The Boiler that was not finished until the day of the opening. As is typical with Clements’ work, she did not know the final size of the drawing until it was completed. Her work usually develops in a serendipitous way—she responds to what she sees and doesn’t know the end point until she reaches it. She may begin working on a very modest scale but the work often ends up many times larger as she glues pieces of paper to the edges of the working drawing where she decides to continue drawing. The wrinkles and tears that develop as a result of her process are the record of a very active, performative drawing practice. These marks and
1st Census Signed by Jefferson Up for NYC Auction
NEW YORK, NY (AP).- A first edition of the first U.S. census signed by Thomas Jefferson in 1791 is heading for the auction block in New York City. The 56-page document lists the population for the nation’s 13 states and Southwest Territory. It’s expected to fetch $50,000 to $70,000 when it’s sold April 14 at Sotheby’s. The census gives state and county breakdowns. The state population is listed according to five categories: free white males 16 years and upward, free white males under 16, free white females, all other persons and slaves. Jefferson was secretary of state at the time. Only two other 1791 census copies signed by Jefferson have been auctioned since 1975. A manuscripts specialist at Sotheby’s estimates that as few as 200 copies were printed but says not all were signed by Jefferson.
Baltimore Museum of Art Presents Exhibition of Baker Artist Awards 2010 Winners
BALTIMORE, MD.- The BMA celebrates the eight winners of the Baker Artist Awards 2010 with an exhibition of sculpture, film, photography, drawings, music, and performance videos. On view April 7 through June 27, 2010, the exhibition showcases the talent and diversity of Baltimore’s arts community. The Baker Artist Awards was created by the William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund to honor individual artists who live and work in Baltimore City and the five surrounding counties. This year 495 artists submitted their work to the competition at bakerartistawards.org, and more than 31,000 visitors from 129 countries voted online for their favorite artists. The three $25,000 Mary Sawyers Baker Prize winners—sculptor Richard Cleaver, classical musician Peter Minkler, and filmmaker Karen Yasinsky—were selected by a private jury. Visitors to the BMA’s West Wing for Contemporary Art can see an installation of sculpture
Van Gogh Painting Reproduced in Breakfast Cereal
SMITHFIELD, UT (AP).- High school students in northern Utah have completed a 6,400-square-foot replica of Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night” out of breakfast cereal. Sky View High School teacher Doyle Geddes led more than 150 students on the project, which used two tons of colorful Malt-O-Meal spread across the gymnasium floor. The project took about a week and was completed Saturday. Crews spread a plastic sheet on the floor, then created a grid to outline the painting’s famous design. Each space was assigned a color to correspond with the painting and filled with cereal. Geddes says he wanted to find a way to better connect students with art. The replica was taken apart later Saturday. The cereal was given to a farmer to feed pigs.